Wideload Games acquired

Disney
must really think that now is the right time to buy, because buying they are.
This time around, it is nothing the size of Marvel, but instead the developer,
Wideload Games in Chicago.

While
Wideload is primarily known for Stubbs the Zombie and Hail to the Chimp, the
real key here is that it will get Wideload CEO Alex Seropain, who will go to Glendale and become the
vice president of creative design. For those keeping score at home, Seropain was
the founder of Bungie way back in 1991 and the driving force being Marathon and Myth. He also has the guiding of Bungie’s
acquisition by Microsoft.

Wideload
will continue under the leadership of Tom Klag, who continues to guide the 25-member
team at Wideload, and which is expected to finish a new project that is being
called a family-friendly release expected to arrive in 2010. The studio also
has a small casual gaming division that will continue under Disney, as well.

The
decision by Disney to snap up Wideload is a good decision, in our opinion, as
the company will need solid quality studios to produce new titles from the
Marvel deal as well as the vast amount of Disney IP that the company already
has access to. Seropain has a solid track record and while the Wideload titles
have not perhaps met with as much critical success as he would have liked, it
is obvious that Wideload can be a strong asset for Disney in the long term as
the company grows its software development arm.